organise

Judging by the huge response to the questions Why are Kiwi teachers not up in arms?, it’s clear that many people want to do something. Want to be heard. And rightly so. It seems that many feel helpless and are not sure what they can do. But never underestimate the power of even one more voice.

This is what YOU can do:

SHARE STUFF

Talk to others, share articles, blog posts (like this), memes, and so on. Share on your own blog pages, on Facebook, on Twitter, in groups and forums. Most people will scoot past, for sure, but there is always the chance one or two people will start to pay attention. Every voice counts.

All action is valuable – do your bit.

JOIN THE KIWI BATS (BADASS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION)

If you think the education reforms hitting the Kiwi public school system are not in the best interest of students, come and join us, whether you are a teacher or not, in a union or not, whatever your political persuasion, and make your voice heard. We all need to speak together, and we will make sure our collective voices are heard in simple but effective ways. https://www.facebook.com/groups/KiwiBATS/

MAKE SURE THE UNIONS ARE ACTING FOR YOU

If you are in the primary sector, make sure you go to your Paid Union Meetings (PUMS) that take place between 24th March and 4th April. A full list of when and where they are is here. Attend, find out what is going on, ask questions, make your own views heard, and discuss the issues with others. The unions can only speak for you if you let them know what you want of them.

BE HEARD IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Write to your local MPs, newspapers and school Boards of Trustees (BOTs) and make your voice heard. A list of MP and newspaper addresses to get you started can be found right here.

Parents, you in particular in are in a good position to make a difference – you have a lot of sway – your voices count, and count a lot.

RUN FOR OFFICE

Hey, go for gold. Just imagine what you could do if you were on a board or in the Beehive.